An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the early hours of Wednesday along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara State, damaging a cement-laden trailer and disrupting traffic.
The blast occurred near Unguwar Mai Chida village as the truck, travelling from Sokoto to Kaduna, was passing through the area. The explosion severely damaged the head of the vehicle, but the driver survived the incident.
Local sources alleged that the device was planted by suspected terrorists. A resident, Samaila, said the explosion happened only hours after a joint police and military operation cleared and reopened the Kucheri–Danjibga–Keta road in Tsafe Local Government Area, which had been closed for over a month due to planted explosives.
He explained that security operatives had faced resistance during the clearance exercise, leading to a prolonged exchange of gunfire. According to him, the device that detonated under the trailer may have been one of those originally planted to target security personnel.
Another eyewitness, Lawali, a commercial driver, said motorists in the area helped rescue the injured driver, identified as Dauda Adamu, from the wreckage. He described the explosion as deafening, triggering panic among road users, many of whom halted at a safe distance until security forces arrived.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the Explosive Ordnance Department had been deployed to the scene to assess and secure the area.
The latest explosion comes days after a Nigerian Army Armoured Personnel Carrier struck a planted explosive device along the Keta–Danjibga road in Tsafe Local Government Area.
